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the_first_lines's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Blood, and Classism
Minor: Confinement, Racial slurs, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
tanotasi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
erwikka's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book took me forever to read but has become an instant favorite. I love the world, the characters, and the magic system. Honestly I just loved every single minute and that ending had me crying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape
ericageorge91's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Reread July 2024: [5⭐️]
For reference, I’m using Book Roast’s CAWPILE rating system and SusanLynKnits’s detailed rating definitions:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iZhinxtTMFQ - Book Roast
https://susanlynknits.wordpress.com/2023/01/21/rating-books-tweaking-cawpile-to-fit-my-needs/ - Susan Lyn Knits and Reads, Update #3
Characters: 9/10 - I’ll think about these characters often. One of my favorite aspects of this book is the characterization. Nahri and Ali felt so real to me. Nahri, I love her ambition and how she does whatever it takes to survive. She’s a reluctant hero and I find that beautiful. Ali is so unabashedly himself. He is so fucking honest and stubborn, and yet still likable. Chakraborty finds a way to make his unwavering moral compass and stiff personality charming. She also has a wonderful cast of side characters that feel equally complex and fleshed out. Everyone has their reasons for moving the way that they do and it makes for a captivating (and stressful 😅) story.
Atmosphere: 10/10 – Setting is amazing and unique. This x1000!!! I don’t think I’ve ever read a Middle Eastern fantasy. The world-building felt so intricate and, once you’ve got the hang of it, immersive. She left no stone unturned when it came to developing the lore of this world and the people that make up this magical city.
Writing Style: 9.5/10 – Excellent // Wow, that was awesome. While I definitely struggled with my first read through, my reread makes me wonder if part of it was just being unfamiliar with Middle Eastern culture. Don’t get me wrong, the world building IS dense, but I think the writer pretty smoothly guides readers through the terrains of her world while also trusting them to find their own footing. That level of craft is truly incredible.
Plot: 9.5/10 – Awesome. Hello?!? High stake adventures, political intrigue, and a slow burn romance (it’s technically a love triangle but there’s only one pairing I will accept 😤).
Intrigue: 8/10 - I want to read more from this author/series. Shannon could shit on a piece of paper and finger paint and I would read it, to be honest 🤷🏾♀️
Logic: 8/10 – I totally understand this world.
Enjoyment: 9/10 – I’m sad it’s over. This might not make sense, but I loved this and the next book in the trilogy SO MUCH that I have yet to read the third because I didn’t want it to end 😩
8.5+10+9.5+10+8+8+9 = 63/7 = 9
1.1-2.2 = ⭐
2.3-4.5 = ⭐⭐
4.6-6.9 = ⭐⭐⭐
7.0-8.9 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9.0-10 = ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
= 5⭐️
Original Review April 2023: [4.5⭐️]
I LOVED IT! I FUCKING LOVED IT!
It’s been about two months since I’ve been this invested in a book’s characters and their world. <i>City of Brass</i> might not be for everyone, BUT IT SURE AS FUCK WAS FOR ME 😭
The world-building was lush and intricate. If I’m honest, it might have been a little too intricate at times 😅. I fought for my life trying to understand the different djinn tribes and their characteristics and politics. Did it pull me out of the world at times because of that? Yes, but once I got the hang of this world, I was sucked in. This was set in a Middle-Eastern/Muslim-inspired world, which might be tough for Western readers but, I think if you can read Game of Thrones, you can make it through this book.
Part of me wishes that Nahri and Dara had gotten to the City of Brass sooner. Another part thinks that we needed time for that relationship to grow from reluctant allies to something more. Because they took so long on this arduous journey, their feelings for each other felt earned. I got so into it, I could almost forget the age gap.
Almost 🥴
This story is full of magic, morally grey characters, and political intrigue. There is so much history and bad blood between various characters and groups of people that I don’t even know who to root for. I ate this shit up. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
TW: Death, violence, slavery, human trafficking, torture, age/gap romance, attempted murder/murder, discrimination, rape (mentions/off page), religious themes
Rep: BIPOC characters, Middle Eastern characters, queer SC characters
For reference, I’m using Book Roast’s CAWPILE rating system and SusanLynKnits’s detailed rating definitions:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iZhinxtTMFQ - Book Roast
https://susanlynknits.wordpress.com/2023/01/21/rating-books-tweaking-cawpile-to-fit-my-needs/ - Susan Lyn Knits and Reads, Update #3
Characters: 9/10 - I’ll think about these characters often. One of my favorite aspects of this book is the characterization. Nahri and Ali felt so real to me. Nahri, I love her ambition and how she does whatever it takes to survive. She’s a reluctant hero and I find that beautiful. Ali is so unabashedly himself. He is so fucking honest and stubborn, and yet still likable. Chakraborty finds a way to make his unwavering moral compass and stiff personality charming. She also has a wonderful cast of side characters that feel equally complex and fleshed out. Everyone has their reasons for moving the way that they do and it makes for a captivating (and stressful 😅) story.
Atmosphere: 10/10 – Setting is amazing and unique. This x1000!!! I don’t think I’ve ever read a Middle Eastern fantasy. The world-building felt so intricate and, once you’ve got the hang of it, immersive. She left no stone unturned when it came to developing the lore of this world and the people that make up this magical city.
Writing Style: 9.5/10 – Excellent // Wow, that was awesome. While I definitely struggled with my first read through, my reread makes me wonder if part of it was just being unfamiliar with Middle Eastern culture. Don’t get me wrong, the world building IS dense, but I think the writer pretty smoothly guides readers through the terrains of her world while also trusting them to find their own footing. That level of craft is truly incredible.
Plot: 9.5/10 – Awesome. Hello?!? High stake adventures, political intrigue, and a slow burn romance (it’s technically a love triangle but there’s only one pairing I will accept 😤).
Intrigue: 8/10 - I want to read more from this author/series. Shannon could shit on a piece of paper and finger paint and I would read it, to be honest 🤷🏾♀️
Logic: 8/10 – I totally understand this world.
Enjoyment: 9/10 – I’m sad it’s over. This might not make sense, but I loved this and the next book in the trilogy SO MUCH that I have yet to read the third because I didn’t want it to end 😩
8.5+10+9.5+10+8+8+9 = 63/7 = 9
1.1-2.2 = ⭐
2.3-4.5 = ⭐⭐
4.6-6.9 = ⭐⭐⭐
7.0-8.9 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9.0-10 = ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
= 5⭐️
Original Review April 2023: [4.5⭐️]
I LOVED IT! I FUCKING LOVED IT!
It’s been about two months since I’ve been this invested in a book’s characters and their world. <i>City of Brass</i> might not be for everyone, BUT IT SURE AS FUCK WAS FOR ME 😭
The world-building was lush and intricate. If I’m honest, it might have been a little too intricate at times 😅. I fought for my life trying to understand the different djinn tribes and their characteristics and politics. Did it pull me out of the world at times because of that? Yes, but once I got the hang of this world, I was sucked in. This was set in a Middle-Eastern/Muslim-inspired world, which might be tough for Western readers but, I think if you can read Game of Thrones, you can make it through this book.
Part of me wishes that Nahri and Dara had gotten to the City of Brass sooner. Another part thinks that we needed time for that relationship to grow from reluctant allies to something more. Because they took so long on this arduous journey, their feelings for each other felt earned. I got so into it, I could almost forget the age gap.
Almost 🥴
This story is full of magic, morally grey characters, and political intrigue. There is so much history and bad blood between various characters and groups of people that I don’t even know who to root for. I ate this shit up. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
TW: Death, violence, slavery, human trafficking, torture, age/gap romance, attempted murder/murder, discrimination, rape (mentions/off page), religious themes
Rep: BIPOC characters, Middle Eastern characters, queer SC characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse and Rape
erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CW: violence and war and emotional anguish and things.
I tackled this book as part of a book club (Lighthouse Library thicc bois :) ). It wasn't something I had heard of before that. It starts off set in Cairo with a young woman of unknown origin who is a theif, swindler and survivor, and who has a mysterious healing talent and the ability to understand languages, which she hides to avoid people thinking her a dangerous witch.
Her world is upended when she utters some words of power while doing a faith healing scam, and unexpectedly summons something to her. This leads to her and a big scary soldier guy on the run from murderous ghouls and ifrits. She learns of the world of Daeva and Djinns and journeys to find sanctuary in a magical hidden city, all the while being hunted and tracked by mysterious forces and magical creatures.
Having read a children's translation of the Persian epic Shahnameh, some of the creatures and names were familiar to me. I did keep wondering if Nahri's uncle had an epic warhorse called Rakhsh. I find that I clearly have a lot more grounding in the myths of the Pacific Islands, the Mediterranean, Europe and the British Isles, and need to read more mythic stories from other parts of the world. This story weaves together myth from many places in Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, South and East Asia. Thematically it pits Tradtions, family, individualism, duty, and survival together in a story that sets up a world that I feel is yet to be explored and played in. That's quite a big book for an intro!
The main character is antiheroic. She is a thief, a liar, and a con-artist. She is used to not having a lot and needing to swindle what she can, and so she is out of her depth when she is cast into a palace with opulence at all turns. She is under no illusions that everyone has their own agenda, and that appearances are often skin-deep. It can make for slippery footing as you try to come to grips with a story where there are centuries of history, of alliances and rivalry.
As far as the elemental magic goes, it's generally coherent. The story has some curiosities but non of the "surprises" are overly so. I'm interested to wade into the world and see a little more.
I tackled this book as part of a book club (Lighthouse Library thicc bois :) ). It wasn't something I had heard of before that. It starts off set in Cairo with a young woman of unknown origin who is a theif, swindler and survivor, and who has a mysterious healing talent and the ability to understand languages, which she hides to avoid people thinking her a dangerous witch.
Her world is upended when she utters some words of power while doing a faith healing scam, and unexpectedly summons something to her. This leads to her and a big scary soldier guy on the run from murderous ghouls and ifrits. She learns of the world of Daeva and Djinns and journeys to find sanctuary in a magical hidden city, all the while being hunted and tracked by mysterious forces and magical creatures.
Having read a children's translation of the Persian epic Shahnameh, some of the creatures and names were familiar to me. I did keep wondering if Nahri's uncle had an epic warhorse called Rakhsh. I find that I clearly have a lot more grounding in the myths of the Pacific Islands, the Mediterranean, Europe and the British Isles, and need to read more mythic stories from other parts of the world. This story weaves together myth from many places in Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, South and East Asia. Thematically it pits Tradtions, family, individualism, duty, and survival together in a story that sets up a world that I feel is yet to be explored and played in. That's quite a big book for an intro!
The main character is antiheroic. She is a thief, a liar, and a con-artist. She is used to not having a lot and needing to swindle what she can, and so she is out of her depth when she is cast into a palace with opulence at all turns. She is under no illusions that everyone has their own agenda, and that appearances are often skin-deep. It can make for slippery footing as you try to come to grips with a story where there are centuries of history, of alliances and rivalry.
As far as the elemental magic goes, it's generally coherent. The story has some curiosities but non of the "surprises" are overly so. I'm interested to wade into the world and see a little more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Excrement
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Dementia, Kidnapping, Abandonment, and Classism
corvusastrum's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.25
This review contains too many spoilers to flag them all, you have been warned.
I was on the fence throughout most of this book. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. The ending absolutely changed that though and makes me think that this is a villain origin story, because both Nahri and especially Dara are horrible and I don't know in which universe I could/should like them.
I don't know what she sees in him. He's utterly psychotic, and has been a jerk from the very beginning. I don't care that they spent a month travelling together, or that he's oh so good looking. He tried to marry her off so she can produce offspring. He tried to kidnap her by threatening to kill her (only) friend and would have succeeded. He mercilessly killed over 20 soldiers in front of her eyes, and after all thag she STILL loves him. Woman. Does he have to ram the red flag into your f a c e?
Anyway, as said, most of this book was okay to me. Nothing much happened, but the writing was rather pleasant and I admittedly like the concept of the story, though I would have liked seeing a bit more of the other djinn tribes. A bit of a pet peeve of mine is all the sexism in this book. I understand it's realistic, I just have personal issue with it and it gives me a very sour taste reading. I also really like that this story takes place outside of the USA or Great Britain for once, it's very refreshing to get a glimpse into another culture.
Sadly I won't be continuing this series, for as much as I like Ali, I don't want to put up with Nahri or Dara ever again.
I was on the fence throughout most of this book. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. The ending absolutely changed that though and makes me think that this is a villain origin story, because both Nahri and especially Dara are horrible and I don't know in which universe I could/should like them.
I don't know what she sees in him. He's utterly psychotic, and has been a jerk from the very beginning. I don't care that they spent a month travelling together, or that he's oh so good looking. He tried to marry her off so she can produce offspring. He tried to kidnap her by threatening to kill her (only) friend and would have succeeded. He mercilessly killed over 20 soldiers in front of her eyes, and after all thag she STILL loves him. Woman. Does he have to ram the red flag into your f a c e?
Anyway, as said, most of this book was okay to me. Nothing much happened, but the writing was rather pleasant and I admittedly like the concept of the story, though I would have liked seeing a bit more of the other djinn tribes. A bit of a pet peeve of mine is all the sexism in this book. I understand it's realistic, I just have personal issue with it and it gives me a very sour taste reading. I also really like that this story takes place outside of the USA or Great Britain for once, it's very refreshing to get a glimpse into another culture.
Sadly I won't be continuing this series, for as much as I like Ali, I don't want to put up with Nahri or Dara ever again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Rape
theresahasread's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, torture, slavery, descriptions of blood and gore, kidnapping, rape, whipping
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty is book one in the Daevabad trilogy. I've been meaning to read this for awhile, and I'm glad I finally did! I love intricate world building and morally gray characters, and we have plenty.
We follow Nahri, a thief in Cairo who can heal herself and others, although she mainly uses her ability to fleece her marks. During a "fake" ritual, she accidentally summons a daeva named Dara who is determined to take her to Daevabad, the City of Brass, because Nahri is not human. Dara is a daeva who was enslaved thousands of years ago, and was made to do terrible things, but Nahri trusts him anyway. I really like their dynamic throughout the books and the way it ebbs and flows.
We also follow Ali, the youngest son of the King and Future Qaid to his older brother, Muntadhir. Ali is young, brash, and self-righteous, which makes him quite annoying most of the time, ah youth. Ali is a bit of a contradiction, he believes in the rights of the shafit, a mix of human and djinn blood, but despises and wants to oppress the Daeva clan for their religion. Ali was a compelling character, though, being the second son, and fighting a moral war within himself: stop the mistreatment of shafit, or do as his father says. Speaking of his father, he is a fascinating character. He's not someone I'd say I like, but he's wonderfully complex and brilliant, if diabolical.
There is so much political and clan intrigue in this. It was all a little confusing and overwhelming at first, but it picks up once the world-building is established. Nahri makes a good stand in for the reader in Daevabad, so there is some exposition, but it doesn't feel like info dumping. I want to learn more about the Daeva religion and the shafit as well as more about Nahri's abilities.
Nahri is definitely my favorite character, but I also really liked Muntadhir, who is bisexual. He's your typical charming prince who often drinks too much and has too much fun with courtesans. I can't wait to see how he develops over the series.
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty is book one in the Daevabad trilogy. I've been meaning to read this for awhile, and I'm glad I finally did! I love intricate world building and morally gray characters, and we have plenty.
We follow Nahri, a thief in Cairo who can heal herself and others, although she mainly uses her ability to fleece her marks. During a "fake" ritual, she accidentally summons a daeva named Dara who is determined to take her to Daevabad, the City of Brass, because Nahri is not human. Dara is a daeva who was enslaved thousands of years ago, and was made to do terrible things, but Nahri trusts him anyway. I really like their dynamic throughout the books and the way it ebbs and flows.
We also follow Ali, the youngest son of the King and Future Qaid to his older brother, Muntadhir. Ali is young, brash, and self-righteous, which makes him quite annoying most of the time, ah youth. Ali is a bit of a contradiction, he believes in the rights of the shafit, a mix of human and djinn blood, but despises and wants to oppress the Daeva clan for their religion. Ali was a compelling character, though, being the second son, and fighting a moral war within himself: stop the mistreatment of shafit, or do as his father says. Speaking of his father, he is a fascinating character. He's not someone I'd say I like, but he's wonderfully complex and brilliant, if diabolical.
There is so much political and clan intrigue in this. It was all a little confusing and overwhelming at first, but it picks up once the world-building is established. Nahri makes a good stand in for the reader in Daevabad, so there is some exposition, but it doesn't feel like info dumping. I want to learn more about the Daeva religion and the shafit as well as more about Nahri's abilities.
Nahri is definitely my favorite character, but I also really liked Muntadhir, who is bisexual. He's your typical charming prince who often drinks too much and has too much fun with courtesans. I can't wait to see how he develops over the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Rape, Slavery, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Kidnapping
brynalexa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The world building is rich and the characters are complex. Hard to put down!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Child death and Rape
halfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Let me just say this audio is absolutely PERFECT to listen to as you drive.
City of Brass completely captivated my attention and I did not want it to end. Tbh, I have mixed feelings toward Dara and have no idea what to do with my emotions.
Nahri is in the worst situation possible and basically left to defenseless. Yes, she is a healer and has the attention that should have backfired in her face.
This series is a first for me where I basically got a "cheat code" after reading River of Silver. So I know who each character is and it actually helped me better get into the story. I tried listening to this audio first but got confused with many name mentions, but the novella helped me sort out who was who and I could envision them in my head better. (Yes, I did take thorough notes as where each novella story took place within the trilogy universe.)
So I am excited to delve into The Kingdom of Copper audio which LITERALLY became available today 2.20.23 form my libraries digital catalogue and I am so excited to start it!!! AAAAHHH!!!
City of Brass completely captivated my attention and I did not want it to end. Tbh, I have mixed feelings toward Dara and have no idea what to do with my emotions.
Nahri is in the worst situation possible and basically left to defenseless. Yes, she is a healer and has the attention that should have backfired in her face.
This series is a first for me where I basically got a "cheat code" after reading River of Silver. So I know who each character is and it actually helped me better get into the story. I tried listening to this audio first but got confused with many name mentions, but the novella helped me sort out who was who and I could envision them in my head better. (Yes, I did take thorough notes as where each novella story took place within the trilogy universe.)
So I am excited to delve into The Kingdom of Copper audio which LITERALLY became available today 2.20.23 form my libraries digital catalogue and I am so excited to start it!!! AAAAHHH!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail